Kolkata:

Amid the deadlock between protesting doctors and the West Bengal government, senior Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh has claimed that “opposition forces” are plotting an attack on the agitators to defame the Mamata Banerjee government and the ruling party in the state. Mr Ghosh cited an audio clip of a conversation as proof of the conspiracy. 

The doctors have been protesting since a trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. 

“The conversation is between a member of the youth wing of the Left and one from an ultra-Left organisation. There is a deep conspiracy against the government. They were talking about a plot. They will attack the ‘dharna’ (sit-in) of doctors and then will blame the ruling party and the state government that after yesterday’s deadlock, the ruling party is attacking the doctors… this is the main plot,” Mr Ghosh said on Friday.

He also made the same claim in a post on X and said the police should stop the entry of outsiders near the protest site at Swasthya Bhavan, the headquarters of the health department in West Bengal, in Kolkata’s Salt Lake, where the doctors began a sit-in on Tuesday. 

The police have registered a case on their own and also arrested one person. 

CPI(M) spokesperson Fuad Halim said the police should investigate how Mr Ghosh got the clip. 

“On August 14, when a peaceful protest was on, a big group of goons entered RG Kar hospital and tried to compromise the scene of crime. The administration is totally silent on the 20-30 people who have been arrested – who they were, what are their political affiliations, why they went on a rampage. Devious forces are working here in West Bengal. The Trinamool Congress is involved in a heinous threat culture,” Mr Halim said. 

There have been moves for a discussion between the state government and the protesting doctors since Tuesday, which have been getting stalled. On Wednesday, the doctors had made four key demands for the discussion to take place: they should be allowed to send a delegation of at least 30, the discussion should be held in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, it should be centred around their five-point demands, and the meeting should be telecast live.

Three of the four demands had been met and the doctors had reached the state secretariat on Thursday for a meeting but it did not take place because the government did not agree to the live streaming.

‘Against Protocol’

Explaining the reasoning after Thursday’s meeting did not happen, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who said she had been waiting for the doctors for over two hours, stated that the matter was in court and live streaming the meeting would be against protocol.

Ms Banerjee also apologised to the people of West Bengal and said she was willing to step down. 

“In the interest of the people, I am ready to step down. I do not want the post of the Chief Minister. I want justice for Tilottama (the name given to the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered). And I want common people to get medical treatment,” the chief minister said, adding that people do not know that there is a “political colour” to the protest. 

“I know many in the delegation were interested in talks. But two of three people were giving instructions from outside. We have seen all that. We could see that because it was being recorded by the press, which were standing right behind… They were giving instructions – ‘Do not negotiate, do not go to the meeting’,” she said. 

The five-point demands of the doctors include holding all individuals responsible for the rape and murder – as well as any destruction of evidence – accountable and punishing them and taking strict disciplinary action against former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Principal Sandip Ghosh. They have also pushed for the resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam, among others; ensuring adequate security measures for healthcare workers; and eliminating a ‘threat culture’ prevailing in government healthcare institutions. 

The doctors have also written to the President and the Prime Minister, requesting them to intervene and end the impasse.